Hybrid Events – A Way Forward
One of the buzzwords that has emerged during COVID is ‘hybrid events’. This left many of our clients scratching their heads as they look to apply this to their current event calendars. So, what is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is a mix of both a live event and a virtual event. As a professional planner we see the virtual platforms as the ‘venue’, a place to host your event. The same planning phases apply with a little added creativity to ensure maximum engagement, a dynamic program and sponsor inclusion.
Image courtesy of www.virtualedge.com
For many annual events, restrictions have made it impossible to keep traditional formats as organisers contend with restrictions put in place. As we guide clients on space restrictions, event capacity restrictions set by the government, catering restrictions, travel restrictions and fear from attendees to attend we understand the importance of education to help in eliminating the fear.
A survey conducted by the Professional Convention Management Association has found that that 60% of planners would only travel in their own country for business events. Hybrid events allow for international events to still take place with people from all over the world able to register, pay for the event and ‘virtually’ attend (see what we did there?).
LOUD’s setup for a recent hybrid event
The program from the in-person event can be accessed by those online. Session content can be live streamed or pre-recorded and delegates can access the same resources and information. But what about human interaction I hear you ask? We hear you! LOUD events have partnered with a platform that has the ability to have a branded networking floor. Online attendees can jump around from table to table and by turning on their camera and microphone they can interact with those positioned there. They have the ability to message attendees and ‘come to stage’ to ask a question during Q&A in sessions. Like we mentioned earlier, it is all about getting creative and understanding your audience.
The LOUD team delivering a hybrid event
As each month passes, we understand the importance of hybrid events. This will allow for continued connectivity in events and ensure the preservation of education in every industry. Knowledge is power and events are a vehicle to deliver this. Like most things, evolution is inevitable and the current climate has only meant that hybrid events are becoming more popular sooner than predicted. We welcome the change and are excited to show you how you can evolve your event model for the today’s climate.
